The Merciful Cunning
by Thaliona
Summary: "There had once been a time for soft hands and even softer silks, but those times were long gone." Regardless of rank, or nation, every human bender or nonbender is just trying to survive. Some better than others. Pre/During the Siege of Ba Sing Se.


A/N: So, a while ago (and I mean a _while_ ago) I'd written up a prologue to a storyline I'd had in mind, but then promptly forgot about it until finding it recently while doing some summer cleaning. I decided to revamp it a bit, and thus you have this. I'm not sure if I'll continue it (I do know where I would take it if I do however), so ya'll can decide that if you guys are intrigued enough to want more.

Disclaimer: If only I was that cool….

There had once been a time for soft hands and even softer silks, but those times were long gone. In a small village about two weeks travel from the great walls of Ba Sing Se, a no longer young but not quite yet old woman lamented the passing of said time when the calluses that roughened her hands didn't exist. She had been young then, but she remembered with brilliant recollection her life before this village. Could there be a greater example of guilt by association? She thought not. A heavy sigh escaped her chapped lips, but the bucket of water she was carrying back to her home was heavier still. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead before narrowly missing her eye and lazily slinking down her cheek. The sun had been especially brutal these past few weeks as if even it were on the Fire Nations side, slowly wearing away what little resistance remained.

Keyu shuffled along, trying not to slop water over the sides of her bucket. The damn thing weighed a ton it felt like. If only there were more men in the village other than the elderly to help with these chores. Women's work? She disagreed vehemently. Her mother was probably gardening again. At times, Keyu was certain Lixue cared more for those plants than she cared for her own flesh and blood. With each step, Keyu grumbled a little bit louder, but at least she was making progress, and the bucket was mostly full. As long as the water was going to a future meal and not into those weeds in the back of their home, Keyu could rationalize the effort. Water was quite necessary to life as it were, and Keyu couldn't deny that fact. It would also be excessively disrespectful to demand her aged mother help her in the task, but still. Water could be as heavy as it was necessary.

Another few minutes, the further irritation of her calluses and many a bead of sweat, Keyu finally reached her home nestled into the small cluster of other small buildings that composed the simple farming village of a few Earth Kingdom citizens who found no solace in the poverty stricken distract in which they'd be forced to live in Ba Sing Se. Her mother, as expected, was on her knees and covered in dirt in her garden. Once, during the same time that Keyu's hands were not calloused, Lixue had been pale as the snow she was named for with hair black as the charcoal they once lined their eyes with. Nearly thirteen years in exile and her skin had darkened far past sun kissed and there were gray streaks intertwining in the long hair Keyu once loved to brush with the childlike fascination and admiration a daughter has for her mother. No one could say Lixue was not a handsome woman, but there had been a time when she had been the most beautiful woman in all the Earth Kingdom.

Or at least, Keyu thought so. Before the bitterness sank in, Keyu adored Lixue with every fiber of her body. Now, things were different. Her daughter was still loyal, but resentment coiled around the young woman's heart. If only Lixue had not been so stubborn, if only she had not angered the Dai Li. However, it was entirely possible that bitterness was misplaced. Even Keyu knew that Lixue had never been entirely forthcoming about the details of their forced departure. Still, there were so many 'if onlys' that Keyu lost count of them all.

If only the bucket of water hadn't just been used to water the plants and wash Lixue's dirty hands. The coil tightened just a little bit more, but Keyu only sighed. What else could she do? She knew her mother loved her, and part of that love was wanting her to see the realities of the world instead of being sheltered like Kuei, but was knowing the truth worth the sacrifice of a lavished life? Lixue would argue that until the day she died, therefore, Lian never brought it up. It wasn't as if Keyu alone could return to the city. She, too, was still branded a danger to the tranquility of Ba Sing Se.

Keyu lingered a little, watching her mother garden. The older woman was so content with this life it astounded Keyu sometimes. They hadn't been royalty by any means, but they had lived with all the perks. She missed those perks and wondered if her mother ever did as well. Lixue never answered her when she asked and so she stopped asking all together. **"I was thinking of starting dinner soon…"** Keyu thought aloud, fiddling with the sleeve of her tunic. The fabric was just so scratchy and the color – what a horrid shade of brown.

**"Mmm…we'll need more water for the rice,**" Lixue commented absentmindedly, glancing up at Keyu expectantly. **"I'll just finish up here, and we'll have fresh spices. Perhaps Shang will trade for fresh tofu. That would be nice, wouldn't it?"**

**"I'll go get more water,"** Keyu replied quite begrudgingly, but nevertheless, with a quick bow. Her mother nodded before returning to the garden. After retrieving the bucket, Keyu made her way back to the main road through the village that would take her to the river. Whoever planned the village's location did so poorly in Keyu's opinion, but at least the surrounding forest sheltered them or so the villagers hoped. The Fire Nation had not yet advanced so far in their conquest, but there were troubling rumors.

And those rumors were exactly what came to mind when Keyu saw the gathering crowd of what seemed like the entire village out. The crowd quivered with movement, and as Keyu drew closer she could hear the hushed whispers of disbelief turn into shouting. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the bucket's handle. **"Wen! Wen,"** Keyu grabbed at her friend's arm, **"What's going on?"** The question stumbled out of her mouth even before Keyu could process asking it, although, deep in her gut, Keyu already knew the answer.

The woman turned to look behind at Keyu , fear so clearly written across her face. Keyu had never seen Wen's eyes so big or so full of apprehension. **"They're coming. The Dragon of the West is coming to take Ba Sing Se. The neighboring village sent a messenger to warn us,"** Wen nearly broke down into tears, now clutching at her friend as if letting go would be certain death. **"What are we going to do?"** Keyu let the younger woman cling, even going so far as to wrap her spare arm around Wen's trembling shoulders. They had all lost so much to the Fire Nation, and the myth that surrounded the so-called Dragon of the West carried with it the weight to send normally sound minded people into a panic.

**"Shush, Wen, Rong is trying to speak,"** She cooed, trying to sound calm while every instinct told her to run and not stop until she could no longer move. Keyu could only recall one other time when she had been so frightened.

Soon, the frantic debates among the villagers settled and all eyes were on Rong, a weathered man who'd been aged by loss and time. There was a long silence as the entire village held a collective breath.** "We must go seek refuge behind the Great Walls of Ba Sing Se. Gather what you can. We leave at dawn,"** So Rong declared with sorrow in his hoarse voice. At once, the crowd broke apart, another frenzy breaking out as families went to evaluate what was worth saving and what would have to be sacrificed.

Keyu walked Wen back to her home, quickly hugging her friend before running back to her own dwelling. **"Mother! Quickly, we must pack. The Fire Nation is coming. The village is evacuating to Ba Sing Se. We are leaving in the morning,"** Keyu hurriedly tossed the bucket aside on the porch, almost forgetting to take off her outdoor shoes but not bothering to slip into slippers after closing the front screen door.

As if there was no turmoil outside and as if Keyu had not brought that turmoil into her very home, Lixue continued to tune the pipa in her lap.** "Did you get the water?"**

**"Mother. Did you not hear me? The Fire Nation is coming. The Dragon of the West is coming. Why is that out? Now is not the time for music,"** Keyu rubbed at her temples out of frustration. Why did her mother decide to act senile now of all times? Did she not understand they were about to be in the middle of a war zone? Lixue didn't seem troubled at all, still casually plucking at the pipa's strings.

Once Lixue was satisfied with the tune of her instrument, she glanced up at her daughter, **"there is always time for music, and also, where will we go?" **Such a simple question, in such an innocently patronizing tone. Keyu bit her tongue for a long moment before regaining the composure to address her mother.

**"To Ba Sing Se, honored mother, along with the rest of the village," **Keyu didn't even attempt to hide her growing frustration and mounting panic. This was just ridiculous. **"Why aren't you taking this seriously?"**

Lixue sighed, placing the instrument carefully on the floor and folded her hands in her lap, **"have you forgotten we are not welcome there? Or have you made the fatal mistake of thinking Long Feng has forgotten this as well? Or perhaps an even more dire error, do you think Long Feng would not know we had returned?"**

**"It has been almost thirteen years," **Keyu slowly placed one knee on the ground followed by the other so that she was half kneeling, half prostrate before her mother as if she was begging for confirmation of her dismal hope, **"surely things have changed in such a long time."** Her pleading expression broke Lixue's heart, a feat her daughter wouldn't think possible.

Before further breaking her hope completely, Lixue held her daughter's face between her hands. Keyu still remembered when their touch had been like the caress of a fine silk kimono instead of the sandpaper grasp they were now. **"Things have not changed, my Keyu. We will stay here, and we will do what must be done to survive. Do you understand, dear one?" **Her voice was gentle, even though the message was not.

Sadly, she did understand. Tears pricked at her eyes as fear got the better of her. No, not fear, as terror got the better of her. Keyu felt her heart pounding in her chest, and now that there was no one to comfort, she began trembling. **"So we are to be at the mercy of the Fire Nation?" **Keyu's voice was not much more than a stammered whisper as her stomach clenched at the thought. She could already smell the fires that were to consume them, hear its' crackling like angry spirits.

Lixue shook her head, tilting up her daughter's chin with a finger so that Keyu could look no where else, **"no, child, we are at the mercy of our own guile."** She released Keyu's gaze and picked up the pipa, once again plucking it, **"Now, before we starve to death waiting for the Fire Nation to conquer us, go to the river. We still need water for the rice, and don't forget to ask Shang about the tofu if he isn't too busy running about like a headless chicken."**

Knowing there was nothing left to be said, Keyu bowed quickly and left her mother to her music while the rest of the village chaotically dismantled itself.


End file.
